A couple of questions..

[Chrissie]

Would laser treatment be be okay on Acne?

Will ingrown hairs be affected by the laser?

[peter]

No, I do not believe that ingrown hairs would be affected by the laser that is used. Yes, the laser treatment would be okay on acne, as it won't affect the skin that much (or irritate it).

[Courtenay]

Is it possible that laser would in fact prevent / stop acne? I'm not very well versed on laser and quite new to it at best.

[blueangel]

I dont think that hair removal lasers work for acne but i did find this article about some type of laser treatment for ache.

The Daily Mail - LASERS could offer the biggest breakthrough in the treatment of acne for 30 years, say doctors

They found a single 15-minute dose was enough to clear up half the spots targeted.

A laser treatment developed for use on birthmarks and wrinkles produced 'significant improvements' for four out of five acne patients.

Lasers could provide an alternative to the powerful drugs and antibiotics used to tackle acne for decades. The drugs have been linked to side effects such as depression while doctors are also under pressure to prescribe fewer antibiotics.
Acne is almost universal in adolescence, a result of the hormones coursing around the body which over-stimulates glands in the skin, leading to blocked pores and infection.

But 'adult acne' triggered by stress is a growing problem, with celebrities such as Cameron Diaz, Victoria Beckham and Britney Spears prone to outbreaks.

Consultant dermatologist Tony Chu, who carried out the research, said the laser treatment stopped inflammation and prevented scarring.

'Our results suggest this treatment could be developed as a therapeutic approach that would allow simultaneous treatment of active acne and associated scarring,' he said.

The study used an N-Lite laser developed by the University of Wales to remove wrinkles.

Forty-one adults aged between 18 and 45 years with mild to moderate acne took part in the trial at Hammersmith Hospital. West London, with ten receiving 'sham' treatment.

All had failed to respond to conventional drugs and antibiotics. The laser wand was moved over their faces for around 15 minutes, says a report on Mr Chu's study published today in the Lancet.

Light treatment works by heating small blood vessels which reduces inflammation and encourages the skin's healing response. The severity of acne reduced by half in patients given the treatment. Three patients with severe acne had 'striking' responses with rapid improvement. Eighteen patients lost at least half of their spots and ten lost them altogether.

'The rapidity of the response contrasts with that to conventional treatments such as oral antibiotics, which often need administration for six to eight weeks before benefits are seen,' said Mr Chu.

Dr David Fenton, consultant dermatologist at St Thomas' Hospital in London, said the study was 'exciting news'.

'Acne can cause extreme anxiety and misery. It drives some sufferers to consider killing themselves,' he added.

[eShutterBUG]

Yeah Blueangel, I had read something like that too. Apparently lasers can also be used to remove birthmarks and scars and things like that. It's pretty neat.

[peter]

I think getting scars would be pretty cool to get removed. Birthmarks getting removed is kind of wierd though, unless yours stands out like a sore thumb or something.

[blueangel]

Some people petter have birth marks the whole span of there heads for example, and bright red in colour. When they are unlucky enough to be born with a mark like this i can understand why treatment is needed...

[Chrissie]

Thankyou all the answers everyone. I think having questions here in discussuion really helps alot of different people, so thankyou everyone.

[Liz]

Some people petter have birth marks the whole span of there heads for example, and bright red in colour. When they are unlucky enough to be born with a mark like this i can understand why treatment is needed...
Yes, there's a person that I see walking sometimes that has a birthmark covering the whole left side of her face. I would surely want to get that taken off, but people can also be self-conscious with small things.

[eShutterBUG]

Do you know if you can get things like pimples and zits removed? It seems a lot different than just skin and hair to me, but is it possible?

[Liz]

Do you know if you can get things like pimples and zits removed? It seems a lot different than just skin and hair to me, but is it possible?
Yup, you can get pimples, scars, etc. removed with lasers as well. I think it's possible to do it with something called the Clearlight series.

[eShutterBUG]

That's good to know. Finally, a (almost) risk-free zit treatment! Might be a good Christmas present for teenagers. :)

[Liz]

That's good to know. Finally, a (almost) risk-free zit treatment! Might be a good Christmas present for teenagers. :)
Yes, it would be indeed. :) Some people just can't get rid of acne, as they have a horrible case of it, so lasers might be good for that. People could also try Proactive (http://www.proactiv.com/) if they have bad acne, as I hear that works extremely well.

[eShutterBUG]

Oh yeah, that looks good too. It seems like there are all kinds of acne treatment that sort of work, for a short period of time. Laser seems reliable and permanent.

[Liz]

Oh yeah, that looks good too. It seems like there are all kinds of acne treatment that sort of work, for a short period of time. Laser seems reliable and permanent.
I would only really resort to using lazers for acne if you really had a bad case and nothing else worked. Otherwise go with practive or your daily everyday scrub.

[Sheila]

I didn't know they could use lasers to remove birthmarks. My cousin just got his birthmark removed. It was on his neck and they wanted it off because of sun exposure. He's very light skinned. But they cut it out. It left a huge scar! Do you think he can have laser to help with the scar?

Thanks Sheila